Coldplay

The 5 Worst Appearances by Musicians in Sci-Fi and Fantasy Films

Apparently, someone behind the scenes at Game of Thrones has really bland taste in music. Now, in addition to Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody making a cameo in Season 2, Coldplay drummer Will Champion is going to be joining the HBO show for Season 3 -- playing a drummer. (How creative!) The ... More >>

Live Review, 9/1/12: Yeasayer Makes Sense of New Album Fragrant World at the Fox Theater

Yeasayer Daughn Gibson Sept. 1, 2012 Fox Theater, Oakland Better than: Seeing Animal Collective (seriously -- deal with it). If you (like I) missed the memo, Yeasayer has apparently become a divisive act. After 2010's Odd Blood brought the experimental Brooklynites widespread acclaim, last month's ... More >>

Live Review, 7/16/12: Frank Ocean Meets a Sea of Support at the Regency Ballroom

Frank Ocean July 16, 2012 Regency Ballroom Better than: Streaming Channel Orange Last night, it felt like the most natural move in the world to hear Frank Ocean sing, "You run my mind, boy . . . Running on my mind, boy." It was in a new song called "Forrest Gump," part of a sonic concept that cou ... More >>

Frank Ocean: The Only Band That Matters

Frank Ocean. Even his name sounds like it was dreamed up, because it was. Ocean is 2012's Clash, its Radiohead, its -- if you insist -- Animal Collective. From his no-name-on-the-cover mystique to the 10-minute opus, pre-career record company troubles and a grassroots indie following, he's an altern ... More >>

Kool and The Gang's Robert "Kool" Bell on Opening for Van Halen

It was shocking enough when Van Halen announced live dates with David Lee Roth this year. But the group's choice of pop-funk favorites Kool and the Gang as opening act only raised more eyebrows. Maybe it isn't that strange, though: When we saw the two bands together earlier this year at Madison Squ ... More >>

The Voice Finale: Dear TV-Watching America, Chris Mann Is Too Dull Even For You

Granted, the show is called The Voice, thus emphasizing contestants' ability to sing; and granted, Chris Mann can expertly render notes given to him on a sheet of music, which many others (probably including his coach, Christina Aguilera) can't do as well; and granted, Mann's Vanderbilt training and ... More >>

Live Photos, 4/27/12: Coldplay Brings a Neon Storm to San Jose

Coldplay Friday, April 27, 2012 HP Pavilion, San Jose The members of Coldplay had been lurking around San Francisco for nearly a week, strolling over the Golden Gate Bridge and flying kites at Ocean Beach. On Friday, the band played the first of two shows at San Jose's HP Pavilion, bringing its new ... More >>

A First Listen to The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends, Feat. Ke$ha, Erykah Badu, Bon Iver and More

I loved, loved the Flaming Lips' Embryonic, and find The Soft Bulletin to be a pretty magical cornucopia. Pretty big fan of 1995's Clouds Taste Metallic as well. Yet I've never considered for even a second if the Lips could be one of my Favorite Bands. They might've struck gold three-ish times, but ... More >>

Live Review, 2/23/12: Big Black Delta Delivers Maximalist Sounds for a Minimal Crowd at Rickshaw Stop

Big Black Delta New Diplomat Feb. 23, 2012 Rickshaw Stop / Popscene SF Better than: Blown speakers. A slate of marquee shows filled San Francisco venues Thursday night, with Built to Spill, Sleigh Bells, Budos Band, and locals Thao and John Vanderslice selling out their respective venues. But neve ... More >>

A Second-By-Second Breakdown of the Worst Christmas Music Video Ever Made

​In case you missed all the twinkling lights and massive, decorated trees everywhere, the holiday season is well and truly upon us. And, as you already know, that means it's also the season for awful, cringe-worthy music you can only listen to for -- at most -- one week of the year (the only excep ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney: Bullshit & Transcendence in This Week's Top Country Singles

Thing Toby Keith has never said: "Nah, man, that might be a little much."​On occasion, All Shook Down gives a listen to the music that is to real America what brine is to a cucumber. This is one of those occasions. Toby Keith, "Made in America" Chart Position: No. 5 Verdict: Fantastic, but ... More >>

Bouncer Examines the Friendliness at Zeki's Bar

The Top 10 Harshest Pitchfork Disses of 2011 -- So Far

Tthere's something undeniably juicy about reading an excoriating review of a new album -- especially on a site like Pitchfork, where a low score carries considerable weight, and where writers are given plenty of space and freedom to carve up the works they don't like. Given the choice, wouldn't you ... More >>

What Is Dad Rock, Exactly? One Dad's Opinion

billcosby.com​ In a segment from a season 1 episode of "The Cosby Show," the sitcom's namesake delightfully illustrates how pop music can function as a generational wedge. "I thought it had come down the hallway," Bill Cosby says in reference to the deafening music playing on daughter Sondra's ... More >>

In Which We Attempt to Review Lil B's New 676-Song Mixtape, and Only Partially Succeed

Three download files, a Word doc of tracklisting, and 676 songs: Lil B's insane new mixtape.​He claims to be Justin Bieber's cousin. He only has sex in space (or Japan). He samples Coldplay, Arcade Fire, and Radiohead several times each. He has eight different songs called "Suck My Dick." He's Lil ... More >>

Not So Silent Night: Which One Of These Local Bands Should Share a Stage with the Smashing Pumpkins?

Caleb KuhlThey are IAMEMPIRE.​Live 105 recently announced a shortlist of local bands vying to perform at Not So Silent Night, the radio station's annual holiday concert, alongside the Smashing Pumpkins, the Black Keys, Phoenix, and some other band no one cares about. Ever since the announcement, o ... More >>

Local Natives: Worth Staying Up Past Curfew For

Local Natives​Local NativesThe Love LanguageThe Union Line September 22, 2010 @ The Fillmore Better than: Other popular indie boy bands.Last night's crowd at the Fillmore was shockingly underage. Standing in the first three rows, I felt incredibly uncomfortable when I realized I wa ... More >>

Top Six Most Inappropriate Uses of a Song on TV, Ever

​Having heard the news that Lou Reed reportedly refused to let Susan Boyle perform "Perfect Day" on America's Got Talent last week (resulting in her apparently fleeing the country in floods of tears; Reed says legal issues were to blame), we couldn't help but start thinking about the variety of so ... More >>

Whaty Whaty?

What To Do? Tuesday's Pick: B.o.B. with Lupe Fiasco

​Tonight is your chance to see a hip-hop star with a playful self-image shooting his way to the top. As Sean Fennessey wrote in our April 21 issue, B.o.B. is about to get ridiculously huge. Whether the Atlanta rapper is being called Bobby Ray or his abbreviated shortcut of a moniker, the dude is m ... More >>

B.o.B is about to get ridiculously popular

Bridge School Benefit Announces Lineup

At the Bridge: Fleet Foxes​ The annual Bridge School Benefit lineup, which happens October 24 & 25 at the Shoreline Ampitheater, has been announced. In addition to mainstay and organizer Neil Young, this year's talent list includes Coldplay's Chris Martin, No Doubt, Sheryl Crow, Monsters of F ... More >>

Chron Clueless About the Current State of Radio

Radio GaGa? No, Lady Gaga Interesting article on Bay Area radio Music Directors in today's Chron. When I say interesting, it's because the information presented runs counter not only to what's currently happening with the commercial radio industry, but is written in such a way to suggest that writer ... More >>

Last Night: The Gutter Twins at the Independent

The Gutter Twins (Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan) February 11, 2009 The Independent Better Than: Joaquin Phoenix' new rap career The audience: Reg'lar folks, mostly dressed in shades of the bruise palette. Two parkas, one with a fur-lined hood. Three trilbies. Smatterings of plaid. One army coat tr ... More >>

Top Ten Hip-Hop Albums Of 2008

By Dan Leroy A couple of weeks ago, an expert on the Harry Potter series told an audience of high school kids how lucky they were to have this Big Shared Experience--these seven books and 41,000 words in common. What does Harry Potter have to do with hip-hop in 2008? In an age when many year-end ... More >>

Last Night: Live 105's Battle of the Opening Bands

(Dizzy Balloon gets crafty with the merch setup)Live 105's Not So Silent Night Local Band Competition Finals with: Picture Atlantic, Please Do Not Fight, Go Kart Mozart, Music For Animals, and Dizzy BalloonMonday, Dec. 7, 2008Cafe du NordWords and images by Jennifer MaerzLast night, Live 105-suppor ... More >>

Hey DJ! Friday Q&A: Paul Costuros a.k.a. Special Lord B.

Download Festival, Coldplay, Zine Fest and Tour de Fat: Your Monday Morning Hangover

Hear This

Love Like Fire

An Ocean in the Air (Black Ludella)

The Bravery Far from Bold

The Frames

The Cost (Anti/Epitaph)

Prince's Planet Earth CD Review: Purple Drizzle

Busker Love

Once upon a time in Ireland, a girl met a guy and they made sweet music

Arresting Development

You liked Shaun of the Dead? Then Hot Fuzz will bust a cap in your arse.

Pop Quiz

You may indeed call it a comeback — Jay-Z and Rocky are out of retirement! It's boxers vs. ballers.

Bittersweet Symphonies:Popscene's decade of Anglophile adoration

One-Man Band

Dining at Canteen is like having your own private chef

Hairy Hippies Rule

Stephen McBean makes love, war, and Mountaintops

Band Advice

How to get all the blow jobs and cash you can handle, in eight easy steps

DNA Loungin'

Observing the mating rituals of horny dudes at the Noc Noc

Journalism 101

Dear Reactionaries: If you think the New Times merger spells trouble for local music, read this column

A Fanclub's Notes

Once hyped as a supergroup, Teenage Fanclub may have to settle for midlevel stardom, and that may be just fine

Fookin'-A

Kasabian has its sights set on becoming the coolest -- and most stereotypical -- Britrock band around

Hear This

Hip hop's first agitprop supergroup has arrived, and so have four teenage siblings from Texas who play indie pop. Yippee!

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Band Directory

Prick

Don't hate me because I'm corporate

Steadman

Revive